St. Landry democrat., 1887-03-19
GOV. NICHOLS DEMOCRACY.

The Ascension Democrat thus vindi-
Gates the loyalty to principle OF Louis
ianA's favOrite:
Those who seek to impeach the loyal
ty of Gen. Nichols to Democratic
tenets, to obtain credence for their
statements and give weight to their ar
eument, should speak more carefully
by the card. A long record of more
than life time has been searched in
vain by his opponents to find one cause
for cavil, single source of objection.
Loyal to his country, his services as n
soldier proved the hero, a chevalier
Bayard sans peur ct sans reprmhe. AS
private citizen, as jurist and planter,
no suspicion of reproach ever came
near him honest, high minded aud
pure in thought and deed, he won only
the love and respect of those who knew
him, and when called upon to redeem
his State from the throe> of Radical
misrule, those qualities of the soldier
and citizen welded in the statesman
made a tower of strength that com
PEELED victory for the righteous cause
of self government; and IN all. and
through all, he never swerved one
hairs breadth from his allegiance to
the Democratic party. This record is
HS nIHlH Hht 'yth 'tit thf tii' ~ 10
nothing in it to asSail, 30 single Incl
dent to impeach; but objection must
somewhere be found. and dire distress
compelS his opponents TO seek It in the
Generals support of Hon. Carleton
Hunt for Congress in the First District
IN the election of 1884. 1t is charged
that HINT was bolter and Gen.
Nichols support of him implied dis
LOYALTY to the party. Let rs review the
circumstances and see in what the
charge consists In the spring Of 1884
a dispatch from New Orleans appeared
in the New York Times and was wide
ly copied throughout the country to the
effect that the nomination for Congress
from the First District had been sold
for $4,000, and none other than the
purchaser neod apply. Mr.. HINTS
friends had other reasons to believe
that improper influences were at work
TO control the nomination; and long
before the meeting of the regular con-
ventiOn his supporters placed him ID
nomination as the candidate Of the Re |
form Democracy, repudiatiDg the !
methods of the political ciiqne in New !
Orleans, which sought to suhVert, by |
chicanerv, the will Of the people. Snch |
Democrats as II. z. kernochan, Judge
Walter H. Rogers aud Jno. Dymond |
being the leaders in the movement |
When the convention met everybody !
knew its character. and Mr.. Hunt de
cinpd to make any effort to secure Il
single delegate thereto; he refused to
permit his name to go before it though |
repeatedly urged to do So; he had been
nominated by Democrats as pure as any
Who held seats there, and he meant to
make the fight upon this ground h"
refused to give connteDance to the
doubtful methods of the politicians
and would make no contest under such
auspices. In this behalf he brought to
his support Il large army of the best
Democrats in his district, among whom
was Gen. Francis 7. Nichols. Bnt the
did not dare to nominate Its
vention assembled Theodore Wilkin-
son made speech in New Orleans. vir-
tnalIy charging bribery and corruption
and next day when The question was
asked who killed cockrohln, H." an
swered Theodore Wilkinson, II killed
cock -rohinh This is the story Of the
of Mr. St. Martin and M.
HINTS candidacy. Is there anything
Of boiling in it9 Does it show any
thing but fight between honest poll
tics and corruption and is it surpris-
ing that Francis T. Nichols was found
upon the side of honestly Is there
anything in it to impeach his Demo
,racyP We sympathize with the dis
tressful condition that necessitates such
4 recource for objection. bnt we cannot
permit his opponents unlawfully TO oc-
,upy even this feeble refuge. The
record is clean and clear, and so let it
be written out.